Choose Something Like a Star
by alittlenutjob
Summary: This is just a mess to go with our overly sad Think Like a Peter situation. I am addicted to angst apparently. Titled after the Robert Frost poem. As always I own nothing and write with the greatest respect for the creators. It's an unbeta'd mess, so blame no one but me.


"Where'd you find those?" A flash of light caught Danny's eye as he walked into the kitchen.

"Find what?" Sally said distractedly as she pulled on light brown boots.

"Those earrings?" Danny pointed, careful not to touch.

"Oh, they were under your bed."

"What were you doing under my bed?" he asked.

"Trying to steal your earrings." Sally gave him a funny look. "What do you think? I was looking for my boots."

"Take them off."

"Seriously?"

"Yeah."

"I like them."

"They're not yours."

"I bet you don't even know whose they are."

He did know. If he closed his eyes for a second he could actually feel one of them bumping his nose awkwardly as he kissed soft, honey-scented brown skin. She shivered when he kissed her neck, every time. Every time. So he didn't close his eyes.

"What? Why wouldn't I know? I don't have random women here all the time."

"Sorry, I just figured you were like Peter."

"I'm nothing like Peter." Danny grimaced. "And if I was, why would you be dating me?"

"Is that what this is? Are we dating?"

Danny pinched the bridge of his nose, suddenly feeling very tired. "Do we have to have this conversation this morning?"

"Yeah, we do." Sally leaned back in her chair and crossed her legs.

"Fine, we're dating."

"Then whose are these?"

"Just an ex."

"And do you still see her?"

"No. Yes. No." He shook his head.

"Which is it?"

"I still see her, but I'm not still seeing her."

The first time he saw Mindy wear them was that night she told him about her Christmas party sex trap. She had so much jewelry that one thing kinda blended into the next, but these were memorable. To him, anyway. They were simultaneously simple and flashy just like her. A single gem that flashed like star against the midnight black of her hair.

"And she hasn't brought them up?"

"No."

"Then she won't miss them."

"That's not the point. If you want earrings I'll buy you some earrings, but I gotta give those back."

"Okay." Sally unhooked them from her ears and placed them on the kitchen table. "You got anything to eat?"

"I have some shredded wheat. I'm out of oatmeal."

"I thought Italian guys liked to cook."

"Not this one."

"Really?"

"I just. I gotta get to the office." He slipped the earrings into his jacket pocket and waited for Sally to scoop up her bag so he could lock up.

"Why are you taking those earrings to the office?"

"What? I'm not. I just put them in my pocket for next time I see her."

Sally looked like something was dawning on her. "Oh, Peter said you had a thing with the Indian doctor."

"I wouldn't call it a thing."

"What would you call it?"

"None of your business," Danny said defensively.

"Hmm. You know that's the exact reason Peter warned me off of you. He said you did a dine and dash."

"What?"

"Peter's words, not mine. Said you'd do the same to me."

"I didn't. I would never..."

"Relax. I'm not worried about it. Peter's a little weird about her anyway."

"Yeah?"

"He went from bitching about her all the time and now he can't shut up about her."

"Did he?"

"I mean, don't get me wrong, I think he thinks she's crazy. But maybe the kind of crazy he likes. He went on a wild goose chase with her last week because she was convinced a guy left a scarf at her place like Cinderella's slipper."

"What?" Danny frowned.

"Yeah, said she does that kind of thing all the time. I bet that's what this is."

"What what is?"

"I bet she left these earrings under your bed so you'd have to come looking for her. Like I said, crazy."

"She's not crazy."

"'So you would go looking for her?" Sally arched an eyebrow curiously.

"What? Not that. I see her every day. I don't have to go looking for her. If she wanted to see me she could just come see me."

"And has she done that lately?"

"No."

"Girls like a chase. She's probably hoping you'll come looking for her."

"You think so?"

"Danny!" She narrowed her eyes. "I was making a point about her being crazy. You sound like you wish it was true."

"I don't. She's not crazy, she doesn't want me to come looking for her, and I don't want to go looking for her."

"Are you sure about that?"

"Of course I am."

"Okay, then. Give me the earrings."

"Why?"

"I liked them, she didn't leave them like breadcrumbs for you, and even if she had you don't care."

"Okay." He put his hand in his pocket and drew them out, cool and sharp against his palm. Sally waited patiently with her hand open, waiting for him to hand them over, but he couldn't uncurl his fingers. He couldn't shake the feeling of them grazing his jawbone as Mindy planted little kisses enthusiastically on his neck, her hair in a messy ponytail, as she straddled him in her office. It wasn't the first time she'd surprised him, but it was something new and unexpected, to be so wanted. Other women had wanted things from him, but she just craved little moments alone with him and he'd just wasted them. The memory of it cut deep.

"That's what I thought." She kissed his cheek and slapped him lightly on the other cheek. "Well, it's been real, and it's been fun, but I wouldn't say it's been real fun."

"Sally..."

"Don't worry about it. I'm going back to Florida in a couple of weeks anyway. I like you, but you need to figure out what you're doing. Peter might be making inroads there. Good luck." Sally gave him a last thoughtful look and walked away.

That evening Danny knocked softly on the door frame, and Mindy looked up from her desk, eyes glittering in the half light. "Danny, I've got some paperwork I need to get through before I leave tonight."

"Sorry," he said softly. He reached out with his fist closed. "I don't want to bother you, I just. I found these and thought you might want them back."

Mindy held out her hand to meet his as he dropped them, just barely brushing her skin with his fingertips. She looked down and back up at him. "Where'd you find them?"

"They were under my bed."

"Oh," she murmured.

"Sally found them."

"Peter's sister? Yeah I heard about that."

"Yeah, it was probably a bad idea."

"Peter's never going to forgive you."

"Well he can join the club."

"Danny..." Mindy looked pained.

He saw her face. "I'm sorry. I just mean I don't think Sally likes me very much right now either."

"What'd you do to her?"

"She wanted the earrings."

"You could have let her have them."

"No, I couldn't."

"Oh."

"She said you probably left them there on purpose."

"I didn't."

"Oh." He hesitated at the door. "Well, I'll let you get back to your paperwork."

"Thanks."

He tried to walk away and he couldn't. "Mindy...Sally said you and Peter..."

Her face went carefully blank. "Peter and I are friends. Not that it's any of your business"

"I know it's not. I just don't want to see you hurt."

"Well it's a little late for that."

He knew he needed to turn and go now, but he had to press on. "Mindy I know you hate me too, but I don't want it to be like this. Sally asked if I still see you and I couldn't answer her. I do see you, every day, but I feel like you don't see me. Like you don't want to see me."

Mindy ran her fingers through her hair. "Danny, you're right, I don't want to see you. You're everywhere I look. I see you in my apartment, I see you on the subway, I see you in the doctor's lounge. I can't not see you in every single part of my life. I thought I WOULD see you in every part of my life, probably until one of us died. Which statistically was going to be you," she said with a sad smile. "That's not going to happen, and I need space to let go of that. Can you please let me have that space?"

Danny drew a shaky breath. "Mindy, I'm so sorry I did this to us."

"Please stop saying you're sorry."

He tried to blink away the tears but it was too late. She'd already seen so he just wiped his eyes and nodded.

"Danny, wait." She got up and crossed the office. She grabbed his hand and pulled it toward her, pressing the earrings into his palm. "Hold on to these for me. One of these days I'm going to be ready to take them back."

Danny stared down at the little drops of glittering light in his hand. "Yeah?"

"Take care of them. Okay?"

"I will," he whispered.

She kissed him on the cheek quickly and walked back to her desk. Danny looked back one last time and caught her little smile. He slipped the earrings into his pocket and for the first time in a very, very long time Danny Castellano felt hope.


End file.
